Saturday, August 25, 2012

So, make way. A roll of drums and a blare of bugles. Coming up with runners at first and third, and a standing welcome-to-Dodger-Stadium ovation for Adrian Gonzalez.

—Vin Scully

Adrian Gonzalez justified the fanfare, smacking a frozen-rope home run just inside the right-field foul pole on Josh Johnson's second pitch to him. Before the Marlins had recorded an out, the Dodgers were leading 4-1.

Although Gonzalez went hitless for the rest of the night, going 1 for 5, the rest of the Dodgers followed his lead. They collected 16 hits, and Andre Ethier went 4 for 4 with a double and a homer, setting the L.A. Dodger record with ten straight hits in the process.

Mark Ellis, leading off in place of a sore-backed Shane Victorino, went 3 for 4 with a homer of his own. Cochito Cruz went for 2 for 5 with two RBIs, one of them scoring another new guy, Nick Punto.

Oh, and did we mention Clayton Kershaw pitched tonight, and was brilliant? He struck out eight over eight innings, allowing two earned on only three hits.

The Giants lost to the Barves this afternoon, putting the Dodgers two back. Welcome to the Adrian Gonzalez Era!

Lyons wonders how someone shown in the stadium wearing a Gonzalez - 23 jersey was able to get one so soon. Hey, white boy Lyons: there are a number of people named Gonzalez at any given time in DS who may be sporting their own last name over a famous Dodger's number. *sigh*